


Ruling the world together

by RainbowNixie



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: ADHD Tobin, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Leif, First Kiss, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Leif centric, Leif’s family isn’t good, Light Angst, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Beta Read, Obviously they’re teenagers here but I’m too young for this so everything is very 2020, Sweet Tobin, They’re like 17 here, Tobin is a soft boy, probably ooc but who cares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:28:51
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27183854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowNixie/pseuds/RainbowNixie
Summary: Both of them stayed quiet for a minute. Tobin was trying to figure out if his best friend was alright (he clearly wasn’t), and Leif looked in his eyes for an answer to that question. If Tobin told him he’d be okay, he’d definitely believe it.Tobin shook his head, as if he was emptying his mind to only focus on Leif. “I brought you some stuff!” He smiled again. “Ready to spend a chill, calm, and non-problematic night with your favorite bro?”
Relationships: Tobin Batra/Leif Donnelly
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	Ruling the world together

**Author's Note:**

> It’s 2am and I’ve been writing this for hours, so I’m really sorry if there’s any mistake!! I’ll try to fix them tomorrow!! Hope y’all like it <3

Leif didn’t want to cry. He refused to do it. He refused to let failure take control of his body. However, what else could he do? Laying in bed and looking at the ceiling for hours wasn’t working anyway, and holding back the tears was just making him have a horrible and painful headache. 

He sighed and turned around on his bed to look at his phone resting on the nightstand, next to his sleeping pills. He had two options, but neither of them seemed good at all. Give up and bottle up his feelings as he always did, or reply to the (almost) thirty messages Tobin had sent to him in the past two hours? Leif made an inside pro-and-cons list (Autumn’s advice), and although listening to his best friend’s voice looked like a pretty appealing idea, the fear of Tobin being disappointed in him made Leif shiver. 

Of course Tobin would never be disappointed in Leif for this kind of thing… Tobin wasn’t that type of person. But what if he was? What if all those texts were about how he expected more from Leif? The mere thought of Tobin not supporting him anymore was a nightmare… What if he was already tired of Leif’s bullshit? What if he had had enough of him calling late at night, just to hear his voice? What if he didn’t want to hear Leif rant anymore about how his family was the worst? 

What ifs ran through Leif’s head over and over again... 

Until they stopped.

….

When Leif woke up, the first thing he did was check on his messages. It was such a common move… He didn’t even remember the reason for his mental breakdown until he saw some of Tobin’s texts, and all the memories from that evening came back to him. 

**Tobes <3; 15:45**

u okay bro? u left without me

**Tobes <3; 15:57**

not to brag but autumn’s riding me home in her new car and her friend is HOT

**Tobin <3; 16:11**

nevermind they are dating she’s a lesbian

**Tobin <3; 16:32**

bro srs what’s wrong??? u are worrying me

**Tobin <3; 16:35**

mind if i go check on u? we could watch a movie or smth whatever u want

**Tobin <3; 16:35**

i’ll finally watch dead poets society if u want!!!

After too many messages about all the plans they could do together (which, actually, made Leif smile like crazy and forget his headache for a while), they started to be less funny and cute.

**Tobin <3; 17:09**

i don’t know what you’re going thru, but it’ll be okay

**Tobin <3; 17:11**

u are my best friend, leif. i’m worried sick c’mon pick up the phone

Tobin might have been busy, or had decided to give Leif some space, because the last three texts were sent an hour before Leif woke up from his “nap”.

**Tobin <3; 22:16**

i know your family isn’t home this weekend, still up for a movie marathon? 

**Tobin <3; 22:17**

i was being serious when i told u abt watching the breakfast club and those old movies you love

**Tobin <3; 22:21**

fuck it bro i’m coming over 

  
  


”Fuck…” Leif muttered, his throat still sore from crying and sleeping. Even though his blue cardigan and all of his clothes were wrinkled, he stood up and went directly to open the front door, where he found Tobin. He was resting his head on the wall and scrolling through Instagram, oblivious. Leif waited in silence until his best friend finally noticed his presence. 

“Oh my god bro!” Tobin stood up as quickly as he could, which caused him to almost fall off the stairs. “You are okay!” His smile turned into a concerned look. “Because you are… right?”

Leif didn’t know the answer. “I guess so.” He half-smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

Both of them stayed quiet for a minute. Tobin was trying to figure out if his best friend was alright (he clearly wasn’t), and Leif looked in his eyes for an answer to that question. If Tobin told him he’d be okay, he’d definitely believe it.

Tobin shook his head, as if he was emptying his mind to only focus on Leif. “I brought you some stuff!” He smiled again. “Ready to spend a chill, calm, and non-problematic night with your favorite bro?”

_He was so not ready…_

....

Leif’s heart was beating like crazy, and he didn’t know if he preferred being sad than nervous. Tobin was laying _oh_ so close to him… Their legs were basically touching on the bed, and in the middle of maybe “ _Heathers_ ” (he had lost the count of the movies, to be honest) Tobin had started to play with his fingers, almost holding his hand. It was nothing weird, they had done it plenty of times and they were always pretty touchy with each other. Of course, that was until Leif realized he had a crush on Tobin.

The movie finished faster than he thought it would, however, Tobin didn’t stop touching Leif’s fingers and caressing his palm. He sometimes got too distracted and bored while watching movies, and usually hyper fixated his attention on something else. Something such as Leif’s hand.

Leif didn’t want to say anything. He finally felt… better. A little. And he loved the way Tobin focused _only_ on him. But he couldn’t just stay there and watch the credit titles roll. “Hey. Dude.” He didn’t react. “Tobes.” He spoke louder.

“Oh! Hey! Hey, hey, hey!” Tobin chuckled nervously and separated himself from Leif, who missed his friend’s touch immediately. 

“Hey.” Leif said softly, trying to avoid Tobin’s eyes.

“Wanna watch something else? I’ve also brought “ _Regarding Henry_ ” if you wan-“ He yawned. “To.”

Leif giggled. “I think I’m good for now, Tobes.” He wasn’t sure if it was for the moonlight reflecting on Tobin’s hair, or because their feet were touching again, but Leif was too absorbed in his best friend to think coherently. “Wanna stay the night?” Tobin looked at him… hopefully? He didn’t know. “In my bedroom? Together? We’re both too tired to go for blankets and stuff anyway.”

“Okay, bro. Why not!” Tobin laid down on the bed, while Leif stayed seated. “It’ll be like those sleepovers we used to do in middle school.”

Leif missed middle school… Everything was easier for the two of them. Tobin’s mom was still there, and Leif wasn’t yet aware of how creepy and manipulating his family was. They used to spend the whole night playing video games, reading comics, and listening to Tobin’s favorite songs (Leif couldn’t stand them, but there was something about Tobin enthusiasm that made him want to keep pressing the _play_ button). When Leif’s parents kicked out his older sister Bethany from home after saying she was bisexual, he stopped bringing Tobin home. Leif didn’t know why he did that, but something had started to feel wrong about those sleepovers since then…

He figured it out years later.

“Leif?”

“Sorry- what?”

“I was talking about Autumn’s new girlfriend and you suddenly… stopped working.” 

“Wait.” Leif tried to get his attention back to his best friend, instead of concentrating on Tobin’s slight touch on his arm. “Weren’t you just speaking about the new iPhone?”

“Yes. Changed subject. Stay focused, Donnelly!” He giggled. Leif loved Tobin’s laugh. “Where was I- Oh, right. Autumn's new girl. Sooo… she’s cool! She loves sports and I think she plays the electric guitar? I don’t know.”

“What’s her name?” Leif smiled fondly. _This is nice..._

“Annie? Annette? Didn’t quite get it, honestly. But she seems great!” Before Leif could reply, Tobin spoke again excitedly. “Oh!! Have you heard about the new Marvel movie?! I think it’s gonna be awesome! Definitely a cultural reset.”

They spent an hour talking and ranting about anything they could think of. Being next to each other was easy… comfortable. Even when Leif’s heart was still beating _hard_ , Tobin always found a way to turn that anxiety into something Leif couldn’t quite define.

 _Love_ , perhaps? But this was something more, something stronger than just those three words. They said them a lot, because they were best friends, and best friends loved each other. However, Leif sometimes thought Tobin loved him too. Not the bromance love they always showed to people, but the love that occurred when they were laying next to the other and nothing else mattered. 

The love that Leif found in things such as Tobin always picking up the phone to talk late at night, or when he appeared in his front door with a bag full of comics, movies, and his favorite snacks. 

He wanted to tell him all that… He wanted to say “ _I love you_ ” to Tobin and be able to make him feel the way Leif felt around him. He wanted to hug him and kiss him and sleep next to him without wishing they were closer. Leif wanted Tobin to know how dizzy and disconnected from the world he made him feel when he fell asleep at class, and the morning sun shined on his skin.

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to, bro.”

“What?” Leif said, realizing they were still laying next to each other and looking at the ceiling. 

“Your mind disconnected again, huh?” Tobin laughed, but something about it didn’t feel right. 

“What did you sa-“

“What’s wrong?” Tobin interrupted, automatically feeling a little bad. “I mean-“ He sighed. “What happened to you today? It’s cool if you don’t wanna talk about it, but I thought we told each other everything. Bro stuff, y’know?”

Suddenly, all the feelings came back to Leif in some weird emotional hurricane. His body started to shake slightly, his beating was accelerating, and he could sense a headache coming, along with the tears. Leif tried to grip the blankets, just to have something to hold on to, but he felt a familiar hand stopping him.

Tobin’s eyes muttered to keep going, that he was okay and safe… But the ache and pressure in his chest told him otherwise. 

“It’s-“ Leif knew that, if he talked, he would most definitely end up crying. However, he grabbed his best friend’s hand tighter and swallowed. “It’s stupid.”

“No, It’s not.” Tobin spoke quietly, as if he was scared someone could hear them. That brought Leif back to when they were twelve and their friendship was just basically starting… When they had to stay quiet at night during their sleepovers. “It’s not stupid if it hurts. You are the one who taught me that... C’mon Leif, I’m here for you, bro.” He brought Leif’s hand to his chest as he smiled. “Always will.” 

After a minute or two, when Leif had already stopped his tears from falling and had calmed himself down, he prepared himself emotionally to talk. “You are gonna think It’s-“

“It’s not stupid. Try again.”

Leif sighed, almost giggling for Tobin’s constant reminder. “Know that exam I had last week?”

“History or Economy?” Leif looked at Tobin, amused. “I have a good memory for the stuff that matters. Keep going, bro.” 

_Stuff that matters?_ Somehow, hearing that he truly mattered to someone made Leif hold back even more tears. “History I... failed it.”

“Oh.” Tobin said, reacting a little late. “You can just… retake the exam, right? It won’t affect your final grades if-“

“No I-“ Leif interrupted, sighing. He was still avoiding Tobin’s gaze. “It’s a ‘Donnelly’ failed test. I actually got a B.”

All of a sudden, Tobin started to laugh louder than before, making Leif speechless. “Sorry, bro- It’s just- Pffft.” 

Leif finally looked at him, heartbroken and ashamed. _I knew he would laugh. This is stupid. Leif, you’re stupid._ “I’m sorry. I know it’s-“

“Not again, Leif.” Tobin turned to the side so they were face to face, already calmed down from the spontaneous laughter. Leif did the same, still a little unsure of the situation. “Stop saying your issues are stupid. They aren’t. At all.” He smiled softly.

“But you laughed.”

“Because-“ Tobin giggled again, this time being able to hold back his laugh. “Because IT IS stupid. Your family is. I couldn’t even get a C at History, bro. It’s lame and they’re all dead. Why should I care about them?” Tobin moved forward and caressed Leif’s shoulder. “You did great.”

_I guess you’re the only one who thinks that…_ “Thanks, Tobes.” 

“No problemo, Leify.” Tobin’s hand stayed where it was, and Leif thought he’d die right there. “Why are you still upset, though?”

Leif gripped the back of the pillow, where his and Tobin’s elbow touched each other slightly. The sadness he had been feeling for hours turned into insecurity. He wanted to hide in the bathroom and never get out again. He wished he could move out and go somewhere no one else could find him. He was ready to run and never look back.

But the ironic part of all that was that, in every possible scenario, Tobin was still next to him. 

Leif wasn’t worried of Tobin not accepting his situation, he realized. He was ashamed and disappointed in himself. And Tobin didn’t deserve to think he didn’t trust him, because god knew he was the only one Leif could trust.

Tobin’s hand brushed Leif’s accidently, and for some reason, he took that as a sign from the universe, telling him that everything was gonna be alright. Always next to Tobin. “I don’t want to be a lawyer, Tobes.”

“Then don’t.” Tobin said it like it was the easiest thing in the world and, for a moment, Leif believed it.

“I can’t, though. It- It’s like-“ Leif sighed, his voice still a little broken. “It’s like I don’t know who I am anymore. My whole life people have been telling me what to do: ‘Sit straight, Leif’, ‘Study more, son’, ‘You’re not enough’, ‘Try harder’, ‘You’re a disappointment’, ‘You are gonna be a respected lawyer like your mom, right Leif?’. But I can’t anymore. The person I want to be and the person they force me to be are completely different… and now I don’t know what I want. I don’t-“ Leif held back more tears. “I don’t even care what they think of me but- But at the same time that’s the only thing I care about. I don’t want to be a failure...”

Tobin looked at him in silence, and Leif felt like everything was falling again. Was he going to realize how much of a failure Leif was, and leave him for good? Did he think Leif was just a rich kid without real problems? The image of losing Tobin was terrifying, and sent a strong ache into his heart.

However, Tobin grabbed Leif’s hand under the pillow and used his right hand to caress his cheek. Leif was in between crying of overwhelming and having a oh-my-god-i-think-my-crush-is-also-in-love-with-me attack, but Tobin’s voice didn’t let him decide. 

“Can I be honest with you, bro?” Leif nodded, still focusing on his best friend’s eyes. “I think you are wrong as fuck. Like- You couldn’t be more wrong even if you tried to.”

“What?”

“I don’t believe you don’t know who you are!” He giggled fondly as he whispered. “You’re Leif fucking Donelly! You are ambitious, nonconformist, hard-working, and the most intelligent person I’ve ever met. You won’t stop trying until you get what you want, but a simple bad commentary can make you lose faith in yourself because you’re human. You are sensitive, you cry watching _Ducktales_ , and you won’t admit it, but you like Taylor Swift. And bro,” Tobin let out a dreamy breath he didn’t know he was holding. “You don’t care about people.” Tobin said it as it was Leif’s best trait. “You usually don’t give a fuck about anyone, and can’t stand the ones who don’t get the complexity of Elsa’s character from _Frozen_. However…” He held his hand tighter, and Leif felt how they were getting closer and closer to each other. “You care about me. You have always been there at my lowest, and always will. Because Leif, you know who you are. But those fuckers who call themselves your family made you think being yourself isn't enough, when actually, you could rule the world if you wanted to.” Leif wanted to reply so badly… Say something as emotional and deep as Tobin’s speech. But when he was about to speak, Tobin talked again. “And you’ve loved coding since middle school! You once hacked into the high school’s system so I could get a good grade in English and still go to the same class! You have- No. You NEED to be a coder. With me. Together. Or you’ll never forgive yourself for missing that chance.” 

_With me. Together._

And fuck… Leif had missed so many chances in his life. He was only seventeen, but what he felt for Tobin was real. He had known that since middle school, and did nothing about it. He was too scared of his family, too afraid of the future, too anxious to do something...

But now… Now they were finishing high school, and they could build a life together. They could go to the same college, work in the same place, take Autumn with them… Now Tobin was there, and he was looking at Leif oh so fondly… Their hands were still connected and Leif couldn’t help but notice their legs mildly tingled around each other. 

Leif wouldn’t lose the opportunity.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Oh my- Of course, bro- I mean- Is that wrong right now? ‘Cause I ca-“ 

Leif loved listening to Tobin’s rants, but he didn’t want to wait anymore. He wanted to act by himself and make a decision of his own for once. He needed to take control of his life, and the best way to do that was finally kissing his best friend. Although it was nothing like Leif had imagined, kissing Tobin was like remembering and experiencing their memories together all at once. All the times he had wanted to kiss him came back to Leif: Everytime they watched a Disney movie and Tobin couldn’t stop himself from singing the soundtrack, when Tobin fell asleep doing his homework next to Leif, the time he spent an hour ranting about ferrets and all Leif wanted to do was to shut him up with his lips… 

He was able to do it now, though.

The kiss was gentle, but warm and deep at the same time. They had been waiting for the other to do something for years, and now they were holding each other like it was their only and last chance to do it. But it wouldn’t be the last, because Leif wouldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t let Tobin go, and he knew well enough that Tobin wanted to stay.

_With me. Together. You did great. You could rule the world if you wanted to._

And while they kissed and his still best friend (but probably something more) gripped his cardigan, holding him even closer, Leif made a promise to himself: He’d do anything for Tobin to be proud of him, and whatever the future had prepared for them, they’d face it together. Always together. 

Ruling the world together. 


End file.
